Up, Up, and Away!

Today, “Patchman” Nick V. received his prize for designing the stunningly cool patch I wore into zero-g.  The prize, as advertised, was an official Zero-G Flight Suit!  You read it right!  A FLIGHT SUIT!  Sorry to make you all jealous of Nick, but you, the people spoke and his patch won!  After jumping into a phone booth he emerged looking like this:

Patch Progression

I have received a scan of the patch that I plan on wearing on my flight suit next Tuesday.  Don’t forget: some of you can win an actual embroidered patch.  I decided I should put up the various versions of the patch so you can see if from concept to reality.  Again, “Way to go Nick!”

Above: Nick’s actual drawing before computer editing.

Above: The winning patch design in all its digitized glory!

Above: The actual patch that I will wear and you can win!

Race 2 Space!

Would you like to join me in Zero-G on my upcoming flight? I am sure you would. Unfortunately, you cannot do so in person, but I have the next best thing. If you complete the “Race-2-Space” Trivia Quest by this Thursday, I will take your picture with me on the flight. I will let your picture fly around in the cabin with me. You will also have the chance to win an actual mission patch like the one I will wear on my flight suit (designed by Nick V.). So get searching for the answer because the clock is running!

Directions: Answer all the questions correctly and you will earn an opportunity for your picture to accompany me on my Zero-G Flight next week. It is the closest I can get you to actually joining me on that flight! You will also have an opportunity to win an actual mission patch just like the one I will be wearing. All entries must be submitted by noon on Friday, 25 September 2009.

1. What event started the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States?
2. On what date was NASA founded?
3. Who was the first human in space? When?
4. Name the Mercury Seven (astronauts in Mercury Program).
5. Where did these men get recruited from?
6. Which U.S. astronaut was the first in space? Which was the first to orbit the Earth? (U.S. astronaut)
7. Which U.S. President challenged the nation to send a man to the moon and return him safely? (At the time he issued this challenge, the U.S. had only 20 minutes of spaceflight experience!)
8. Who was the first woman in space? When?
9. What year did the Gemini Program start? (First manned mission)
10. Who made the first U.S. spacewalk? How long did it last?
11. What was the goal of the Apollo program?
12. During what mission did the first manned orbit of the moon occur? Who was on board?
13. Who was the first man to set foot on the moon’s surface? When?
14. What famous words did he utter upon setting foot there?
15. What was the first space station in orbit?
16. Why did NASA send its first “repair mission” into space? In other words what did they repair? (Hint: It was prior to the Shuttle era so Hubble is out)
17. How big is NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)?
18. What does STS stand for? What common name do we know it by?
19. Who is the first astronaut to perform an untethered spacewalk or EVA (extra-vehicular activity)? What made this possible?
20. What did the Soviets launch into orbit in February 1986?
21. Who is the oldest man to fly a mission to space? How old was he?
22. When did construction (in orbit) of the International Space Station start?
23. Who was the first space tourist? How much did he spend to get there?
24. What team won the X-Prize for launching a commercial spacecraft into sub-orbital flight twice? Name the spacecraft.
25. When was the last repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope conducted?
26. Would you like to be an astronaut?

And the winner is…

After two days of frantic paced voting (2702 votes to be exact), it is time to declare a winner.  I am sorry there is no sealed envelope and big awards show, but there is going to be a great prize to the winner!  I am pleased to announce the winner of the Mission Patch Design Contest is Nick V., an 8th grader!  Congrats Nick!  Here is his patch design:

Now begins the task of getting the patch made in time for the flight.  I can’t wait to see it, touch it and of course proudly wear it in Zero-G!  Thanks again to all who entered!  It was a hard time picking winners and I must thank all you voters out there!

Time to Rock the Vote!

There are 6 designs, but only one can be worn into Zero-G. Which one of these will it be? Only you have the power to decide. Vote early. Vote as often as you can. Get your friends and family to join in.

Patch 1

Patch 2

Patch 3

Patch 4

Patch 5

Patch 6

Mission Patch update…

The deadline for submitting your mission patch design has come and gone. My inbox is full so to speak. I received over 200 designs by the deadline and there were many good designs. I have decided to narrow it down to 5-10 final designs and allow you the public to vote on your favorite. I will post them up either later today or early tomorrow. I need to scan and touchup the hand drawn designs. Thanks to all you who submitted your designs!

Patch inspiration…

I found these patch designs from other teachers who decided to share them.  Hopefully they will provide you some inspiration.

Design my mission patch…

Over the past few days I have been generating excitement for my flight and STEM careers with my students.  Now I have challenged them to design a patch for me to wear on my flight suit during my flight.  They are definitely excited and some have even asked if the prize is to join me on the flight!  Here is the challenge so far and some sites for inspiration.

Background: NASA has a long standing tradition of designing a patch for each they have flown since Gemini V in 1965.  This tradition stems from NASA’s roots in the military.  Who designs the patches you might ask? - NASA must have a staff of cool designers on hand, right?  Actually it is the astronauts themselves that design the patch for their mission.  The purpose of this task is firmly root the mission goals in their minds and also build the team’s integrity.  Remember these astronauts are going to depend on one another and thousands of people on the ground to make sure they accomplish the mission and return safely.  The patches are usually simple in design, convey the mission’s purpose, and even represent the astronauts themselves.  To see examples of past NASA mission patches check out this link:  http://history.nasa.gov/mission_patches.html

Below is the patch that we as particpants will already be wearing.

Challenge: Your challenge is design a mission patch for Mr. B to wear on his flight suit during his zero-g flight.  It should represent the mission objectives:

• Experience first-hand the zero-gravity environment/weightlessness
• Return to the classroom and share that experience and inspire students/teachers
• Encourage students to pursue STEM careers

Specifications:

1. Patch designs must be original.
2. Designs can be any shape, but must fit on an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper.
3. Designs must be fully colored.
4. Please check your spelling as all words should be spelled correctly.

Materials:

• your imagination
• paper
• pencil/pen
• colored pencils and/or markers
• optional – computer image generation software (ex. Photoshop)

Due Date: Friday, 11 September 2009 by the end of school

Prize:

• Your patch experiencing zero-gravity.
• Your own personal copy of the patch.
• Another amazing prize such as a flight-suit or some zero-g gear (hopefully).